Tunnel liner



April 13, 1937. w o 2,077,351

' TUNNEL LINER Original Filed Dec. 2, 1935 24 mi Q Mat foamy Patented Apr. 13, 1937 TUNNEL LINER Arthur E. Wilkoff, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor to Youngstown Steel Car Corporation, a corporation of Ohio Original application December 2, 1933, Serial No. 700,711. Divided and this application May 23, 1934, Serial No. 727,191. Renewed March 10, 1937 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to tunnel liner plates used in the erection of metal linings for tunnels, mine shafts and like constructions and aims generally to improve existing devices of that character. In order that the important features of my invention may be best understood, reference may be had to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawing which is illustrative of suitable embodiments of the invention and in which Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of a plurality of assembled liner plates constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of a plate showing a modified form of reinforcement.

According to one embodiment of my invention, a plurality of liner plates are provided, each comprising a base or skin plate 10 with side and end flanges II and I2, respectively. The corners of the plate are preferably bevelled as at l3 to provide a clearance or opening l4 between adjacent plates when assembled in staggered relation, as shown in Fig. l. The beveled corner facilitates pressing the flanges from a cold flat steel blank so that said corner and end flanges may be continuous, integral and of uniform construction.

Within the scope of the invention it is contemplated that the corners may be rounded or beveled or otherwise shaped but a relieved corner is preferable because of the ease in pressing the comer structure and because it permits of the use of clamping means disclosed in the parent application Serial No. 700,711. The plurality of liner plates may be suitably assembled together in staggered relation as shown in Fig. 1, by bolting or otherwise securing the flanges of adjacent plates as at 15.

It is well known that tunnel liner plates of the general type referred to herein are subject, when in use, to severe compressive forces both longitudinally and transversely of the plates, which are apt to cause buckling of the plates unless the plates are reinforced against said compressive forces. Accordingly it has heretofore been proposed to corrugate the body or skin plate longitudinally to reinforce the plate in that direction. Similarly, it has been proposed to corrugate the sheet transversely to reinforce it against transverse compressive strains but I am not aware of any tunnel liner plate that is suitably reinforced against compressive forces both longitudinally and laterally as well as other directions such as diagonally.

According to my invention the body or skin plate In is formed or pressed so as to provide V- shaped ribs 20, the legs 2| of which extend, or are disposed, substantially diagonally of the plate and the intermediate portion 22 of which is of substantial area. This may be accomplished by making the ribs separate as shown in Fig. 1 or connected as at 23 in the form of an X as shown in Fig. 3. In either case the area of the central portion 22 is of suflicient size to reinforce the plate longitudinally while the diagonal or oblique disposition of the legs 2| adequately reinforces the plates against transverse and diagonal compressive forces. The plates are thus effectively reinforced against said compressive forces as may be applied in any or all directions.

The assembled construction used as a tunnel lining is exceedingly strong because when assembled in staggered relation as shown in Fig. 1, the adjoining portions of adjacent sections are suitably reinforcedby diagonal ribs extending in opposite directions so that the assembled construction will be very strong and rigid and substantially free from distortion under heavy loads and strains.

The advantages of my invention reside in the increased strength of the tunnel liners as well as in the assembled lining obviously permitting construction of the liners from metal of a minimum thickness for any required strength. The novel shape and arrangement of reinforcing ribs reinforces the plates against buckling from compressive forces applied longitudinally, transversely as well as diagonally, and the beveling, rounding or otherwise relieving the corners of the plates permits the use of clamping means described in my parent application which provides a strong assembled structure.

The subject matter of this application is taken and divided from my parent application Serial No, 700,711, filed December 2, 1933, now Patent No. 1,980,963, granted November 13, 1934.

Having described several preferred embodiments of my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A cold pressed metal tunnel liner plate of uniform thickness having slightly relieved corners, comprising a skin plate and upstanding continuous side and end flanges, and reinforcing means for the body of the skin plate having rib portions extending longitudinally and transversely thereof.

2. A cold pressed metal tunnel liner plate comprising a skin plate and upstanding continuous integral side and end flanges of uniform thickness presenting slightly relieved corners, and reinforcing means for the body of the skin plate inforcing means for the body of the skin plate comprising a plurality of substantially U-shaped ribs having legs extending diagonally toward the corners of the plate, reinforcing the plate longitudinally and transversely.

ARTHUR E. WILKOFF. 

